The Dallas Mavericks have one pick left before a five-year draft drought. Trading the right veterans this offseason could be the difference between building around Flagg and just hoping for the best.
The Dallas Mavs do not own their own first-round pick again until 2031. That is not a minor inconvenience.
That is, rather, a franchise-altering reality that every roster decision between now and then has to account for. The Mavericks are building around Cooper Flagg with almost no draft capital to supplement the roster as he develops.
The 2026 lottery pick they currently hold is their own selection, the last one Dallas controls before the drought extends all the way into the next decade. After that, the cupboard is effectively bare on the draft front unless the front office acts. The veterans on this roster are the currency. Here is who Dallas should be shopping in trade.
Daniel Gafford
Gafford is one of the most efficient interior players in the league. He is a rim runner, a lob threat and a legitimate interior defender who opposing offenses have to account for every night. At 27 years old with multiple years of team control remaining, his value around the league is real. With Dereck Lively II already in place as a young, developing center who fits the timeline Dallas is building toward, Gafford's role becomes redundant. A contender without a reliable center would pay a meaningful price in draft capital to add a player of Gafford's caliber. Trading him does not hurt the rebuild. It accelerates it.
PJ Washington
Washington is earning over $22 million per season and plays the same position as Flagg. As Flagg develops into a full-time forward, Washington's role becomes increasingly redundant. He is a legitimate two-way player who was critical to Dallas's 2024 Finals run and a playoff-ready team would pay for that track record.
Klay Thompson
Thompson averaged a career-low 11.7 points this season and played just 21.7 minutes per night. He is 34 years old and in clear decline. His name carries history but teams around the league know what he is at this point in his career. Getting a first-round pick for Thompson alone is unlikely. The more realistic path is pairing him with either Gafford or Washington in a deal that sweetens the package for a contender.
The broader point is straightforward. Dallas has veterans whose value to other teams exceeds their value to a rebuilding franchise. Moving one or two of them this summer for future first-round picks would give the Mavericks meaningful tools to work with as Flagg enters his prime. Waiting until 2031 to control their own pick again is not a plan. Trading smart now is.